Hydraulic propeller mechanism



E. w. scHELLENTRAGr-:R 2,238,293

HYDRAULIC PROPELLER MECHANISM April 15, 1941.l

Filed June 5, 1940 INVENTOR EUGENE W. SCHELLENTRAGER 4A. 7407441 ATTORYEY` Patented Apr. l5, 1941 HYDRAULIC rRoPELLER Miso-HANISM Eugene W. Schellentrager, Shaker Heights, Ohio, assignor toy The Atlas Bolt and Screw Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporationpf Ohio Application June 5, 1940, serial No. 338,894

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in mechanism for propelling cars along a track in installations such as continuous tunnel kilns.

An object of the present invention is to locate a. cylinder and piston device laterally to one side of the kiln in a cool and easily Aaccessible location and to connect the piston thereof by flexible endless means passing along the kiln and provided' with means for engaging andr moving the cars as the power` device is operated.

'Ihe invention consists in the location and arrangement of the. parts as. will be more fully set forth in the accompanying specification and drawing and the essential features thereof will be summarized in the claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the general arrangement of my improved device; Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken approximately along the line 2-2 o-f Fig. 1 and showing a kiln car in position to be moved by my improved device; while Fig. 3 is a fragmental elevational View taken approximately along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

As will be understood by those farnilar with this art, material is generally moved through a tunnel kiln along a track or the like on some sort of carrier means, such as the cars here indicated, at a slow rate so that the iburning may take place in the proper manner. Some sort of car pushing or pulling device is generally used arranged to move very slowly while advancing the cars in the direction of their movement through the kiln,

the device generally having a stroke short approximately the length of a kiln car, and the device is given a return stroke quickly to re-engage the line of cars at another point and then resume its forward movement. Prior devices known to me comprise the vestibule type where a pusher device is located at the entrance end of the kiln above the level f the :door and engaging directly against the end of the line of cars. Such a device occupies valuable floor space and often interferes with other operations. Another type of device is placed under the floor or cars along the kiln track itself and is provided with means for pushing or pulling the device to produce the proper movement of the cars. Such devices are hard to get at because of their location.

An object of the present invention is to provide ya device for moving the cars through the kiln While placing the device in a relatively cool place and also where it is easily accessible for inspection, repairs and the like. To this end a cylinder and piston device IIJ is located to one side of andr outside of the area occupied by the kiln indicated generally at II.. Preferably also the device Ill. is located above the door and mounted on base plates Illa which are. suitably secured to v the door or other structure by bolts or the like.

Within the kiln II is a track I2 suitably mounted, in the present instance upon concrete piers I3. A string. of cars I 4 is provided with Wheels I5 Which move along the tracks I2. Toward the entrance end of the kiln, which is toward'the left .end of' Fig. 1, is provided a sep'- arate track for a dolly I6 provided for moving the cars. As best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, a plate Il is placed between the piers I 3 and carries channels I8 set vertically, which in turn carry plates I9 secured to the upper flanges of the channels so as to overlie the wheels 2l] of the dolly which are thus confined between the plates I 'l and I9. Pivotally mounted in the dolly on the shaft 2I is the oscillating dog 22. When in its normal position the upper end 22a of the dog is adapted to engage against one of the cars Ill so as to push it along a track. The dog is held in this normal position by its counterweighted lower end 22h. When the dog is pushing a car it is held rmly iny the dolly by means of a stop 23. When the dolly has completed a car pushing stroke from the left end of Fig. 1 toward the right, it is then returned toward the left again. At such time the dog 22 is rotated in a clockwise direction from the position of Fig. 3 because of the engagement of the end 22a with the cars which freely turn the dog permitting the return stroke of the dolly.

Flexi-ble endless means, such as a steel cable 24 serves to connect the power device I0 with the dolly I6. As best seen in Fig. 1 the cylinder Ib is provided with a' double acting piston Ille having piston rods Iild extending in each direction. Cable 24 is connected with the piston rods at each endv and passes about suitable sheaves 25 and is then connected to the axles Zlla of the dolly I6.

It will be noted that the cable 24 thus has a reach extending parallel to and beneath the center line of the string of cars and -the track I2. This reach of the cable and the dolly I6 are the only parts of the equipment subjected to heat. The cable 24 as shown at the right-hand end of Fig. 1 passes out through the side wall of the kiln I I at a suitable point. It will be obvious to those skilled in this art that this point is suiiiciently removed from the left end of the apparatus to permit a full stroke of the piston rods I lid in each direction.

' The operation of my improved device will now be apparent. A car is moved by any suitable means into position to be engaged by the dog 22 at the entrance end of the kiln or the left end as viewed in Fig. l. Motive iiuid is then supplied through suitable port Ie at the right-hand end of Ithe cylinder lb and controlled by valves not shown. Exhaust of fluid at the left end of the cylinder may take place through a suitable port Inf. The piston Ille is then moved slowly toward the left as viewed in Fig. 1, thus causing movement of the dolly I6 and the string of cars toward the right. This movement as previously indicated takes place very slowly. At the completion of the stroke, motive fluid is supplied through a suitable port lg at the left end to cylinder |01) and exhausted at the port lllh. at the right end. This fluid is supplied very rapidly so as to cause a very quick return of the parts to the position of Fig. 1 ready for another stroke.

No operating devices have been shown for controlling the iiow of pressure fluid tc the power cylinder because such devices are well known and form no part of the present invention. Obviously the control may be manual or by automatic means.

The mechanism described is an improvement over prior devices because- (a) It is located at the side of the kiln and hence may be employed where for any reason, such as lack of space, there is no room for a vestibule type pusher, and

(b) It is above the floor level and hence is easily accessible for inspection, as contrasted with the under-car type pusher before referred to.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a kiln having cars movable therethrough along a track, of a power cylinder located outside the area occupied by said kiln and to one side of said kiln track, a piston in said cylinder having piston rods extending in opposite directions, cables connected to opposite ends of said piston rods, said cables entering said kiln at spaced points therealong and passing around guide sheaves and extending parallel to said kiln track, a dolly in said kiln movable parallel to said track, saidy cables being connected respectively to opposite ends of said dolly, and means on said dolly for engaging a car on said track.

2.y The combination with a kiln having cars movable therethrough along a track, of power means located outside the area occupied by said kiln and to one side of said kiln track, said power means having a part adapted to make a power stroke, flexible means connected at opposite sides of said part and extending into said kiln at spaced points therealong, guide means in said kiln at said points, a dolly in said kiln movable parallel to said track between said points, said flexible means passing respectively around said guide means and being connected to opposite ends of said dolly, and means on said dolly for engaging a car on said track.

EUGENE W. SCILIELLENTRAGER. 

